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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $105.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Price, nice overall rendering

Cons:

Useless below f 2.8

For the price it is a great lens . However below below f2.8 I do not think it is acceptable. Above 2.8 it produces a very nice rendering and produces nice results. To me it is a tool that works well and at its price point it cannot be beat. If you like to to take pictures of brick walls and spend time scrutinizing 100 percent crops you may not be pleased. At $110 it is a winner.

sjkip

Registered: October 2013Posts: 15

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by sjkip

Review Date: 1/17/2014

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $125.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Low price, useful focal length, large aperture

Cons:

Soft at f/1.8

This is not a notably sharp lens, compared to other Nikon primes. It's usable, at f/1.8, but only produces fully acceptable images when stopped down to f/2.8 or f/4. But it's so inexpensive that everyone with a Nikon DSLR should probably have one, and in very low light situations, like dimly lit museums, it generates acceptable images where other Nikon primes might be unusable.

cali4nia

Registered: May 2013Posts: 7

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by cali4nia

Review Date: 5/21/2013

Would you recommend the product? No |
Total Spent: $115.00| Rating: 4

Pros:

small, light, cheap

Cons:

sharpness, contrast, speed are poor

On FF this lens is pretty much unusable at all F-stops. When fully open, it's soft even in the center, the corners are completely blurred. Even when closed to f/8 the corners are still soft, and the center is just so-so. The lens seems to lose a lot of light at f/1.8, the camera exposure meter only shows about 1.6x more light at f/1.8 than at f/2.8, which makes it T-2.2 lens. It's possible that on a cropped sensor it's less of a dog, and it's possible that older versions had better quality. The only lenses I see sold now are manufactured in China and they are awful.

Glutte

Registered: April 2013Posts: 6

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by Glutte

Review Date: 4/21/2013

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $130.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

QI for the price

Cons:

Can find better for less (used)

This lens is very good but not excellent when compared to Nikon AF 50mm 1.8 non D (paid 60$) or the wonderful Nikon 50mm 1.8 Ai straight nose (paid 60$).
I had these 3 lenses and the Leica Summicron-R 50mm serie 1 with Leitax adapter (paid 500$).
Staight nose is the best lens I ever owned. Sharpness,contrast,color,bokey are incredible. Even better than Leica R Summicron that I sold back after comparing.
By now Nikon 50mm 1.8 Ai straight nose and Nikon 28mm 2.8 Ai-s 0.2 are on my D7000 most of the time.

zanxion72

Registered: March 2013Posts: 6

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by zanxion72

Review Date: 3/8/2013

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $90.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Great value for money, great performance, sharp, lightweight

Cons:

Too soft when used wide open.

I have bought this lens after being a bit disappointed with my 18-105 on my D90. Found this at a local shop and have it on my D90 all the time. It is a bit of trouble having to take care for framing in a different way since there's no zoom, but the quality of the photos taken pays back.
It is a bit soft at 1.8, but after 2.8 it is a great performer.
I have heard many complaining about its plastic construction, but I find it having an advantage over weight when compared to others.
Highly recommended.

mohawk51

Registered: October 2011Posts: 5

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by mohawk51

Review Date: 11/8/2012

Would you recommend the product? No |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 1

Pros:

None really come to mind!

Cons:

I've been spoiled by metal AIS lenses. Don't like the build of this one.

This one feels like it could break at any minute. I personally like the earlier version of this lens, the 50 F1.8 AIS (metal, not the pancake one). The one that focuses down to 0.45 I believe. I've had this version for some 20+ years. I'm not sure the 1.8D would last for 20 years. I also have the latest version of the 1.4 AIS with SIC on the elements. Now that's a beauty! Big difference in build quality. Just can't excited about the 1.8D...

photospots

Registered: October 2012Posts: 5

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by photospots

Review Date: 10/22/2012

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $130.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Sharpness, great pictures, small

Cons:

Needs to stop down a bit

A very nice lens where you get really some value for the money.

But if you have the money you should consider going for the 50mm 1.8g, which I consider to be the better lens in the 50mm batch...

Just look at the 'pros' section above. For the money, it's a great little lens and I think you can't go wrong with this one. For me it's sharp and contrasty enough from f/2.8. It focusses quick and accurate on a decent camera body. You don't need a lens hood, because the front element is recessed. If you are looking for a 50mm and don't need a wide aperture, get one of these.

shelly_g

Registered: August 2011Posts: 1

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by shelly_g

Review Date: 8/15/2011

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $109.00| Rating: 3

Pros:

Fast, very inexpensive, reasonably fast AF.

Cons:

Images at f/1.8 are not really sharp, not even at the center. The lens has sever flare problem, particularly for night photos where one gets strong "ghost" images of any light source at, or near, its field of view.

I have been using Nikon cameras and lenses for several decades. This is not one that they should be proud of. If you must have a fast "normal" lens for limited amount of money, it's is OK, but you get what you paid for.

dda

Registered: July 2011Posts: 13

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by dda

Review Date: 7/18/2011

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $110.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

all has been said about this little plastic wonder ...

Cons:

happy with it !

yavorberov

Registered: December 2010Posts: 3

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by yavorberov

Review Date: 12/10/2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $120.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

Sharp, small, light, great bokeh - perfect

Cons:

plastic

This is the best lens that you can boil brand new for only $ 120. 50/1,8D is the best normal lens. When I decided to buy such a lens for my Nikon D80 tried all possible versions. And I chose 50/1,8D as not inferior in quality to any of the more expensive competitors. Sharp, small, light, great bokeh, and most importantly so cheap. The rest of my money to buy flash

hackmann

Registered: September 2010Posts: 5

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by hackmann

Review Date: 9/25/2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $150.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

HQ, Cheap

Cons:

Flare

Well, I am a D90 owner.
You should not forget to have this piece in your bag.
Its far the best lens I have. IQ its awsome, fast and light lens.

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $139.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Excellent value for price

Cons:

wide open performance

My circa 1991 old 50mm f1.4 Nikkor's autofocus broke, I had a dilemma. I needed a lens that produced in focus images when used wider than f4. Since this focal length is not mainly used, did not want to big bucks for the faster f1.4 model. This lens was even better than I expected. Rarely do I miss shooting at f1.4

While the construction of this lens is not professional, it is much better than one would expect for the price. Also like the manual focus grip as well as the greater recessed front element.

adrian snow

Registered: March 2010Posts: 6

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by adrian snow

Review Date: 3/28/2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9

Pros:

Great IQ , fast aperature, price!

Cons:

soft wide open, build quality,

This lens is one of those lenses that everyone should own, BUT, I did find a way to replace mine.

The build quality isn't the best and it is softer from f/1.8 -2.8, but that is the only real negative aspects of this lens.

From f/4 onwards...this lens simply can't be beat in terms of value.

I personally found myself not using this lens in the f/1.8-2.8 range, which led me to replace it with a fast standard zoom. The Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 has allowed me to part ways with this lens without missing it. The Tamron allowed me to replace this lens and my Nikon 18-70mm.

petrvyleta

Registered: December 2009Posts: 1

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by petrvyleta

Review Date: 12/27/2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $140.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

Colors, lightweight, price

Cons:

havent noticed

A lot has been said about this lens, and it is usualy true. Really sharp at f/8, little less at wider apertures, but nothing terrible. For the price totally MUST HAVE. Even if it costs three times more, it still would be a reasonable price. No distortion - that is great for portraits and cropping, and the colors - can't tell you why exactly, but they are nice. It is not a professional lens, but for everyone who does not have 17-55 f/2.8 it is imho must have.

moose

Registered: November 2009Posts: 21

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by moose

Review Date: 11/28/2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $150.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

Lightweight, fast and sharp as a tack

Cons:

Not an AF-S lens

Nikon Professional User. I use this lens on the D300 and D200. It is a great little lens - lightweight and sharp. The recessed front glass means it can be used without a lens hood.

lightknight

Registered: November 2009Posts: 21

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by lightknight

Review Date: 11/5/2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $125.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Really cheap, really good, really light

Cons:

very lightly built, very soft at F1.8-F2

Another no-loose Nikkor. The only thing that's wrong with it is the insubstantial build but then what do you expect for $125? if it breaks buy another!
From f 2.8 onwards its stellar and stays that way to f16, so its great when you want some decent depth of field for landscapes.

It seems odd that my cheapest lens is my preferred one for doing large panoramas but I guess its because 1) its very sharp and 2) it has low distortion - what other requirements are there!

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $150.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

High IQ in center, low price

Cons:

Soft at the edges

Before buying this one for my D90, I've read a lot about 50mm prime lens results (MTF charts, MTF50 results, reviews, etc...). The sharpness results of this one in the center of the image (between f/2.0 - 4.0) comes 2nd after Zeiss T* 1.4 (acc. to the results in www.photozone.de). At f/5.6 all three nikkors have almost the same results in center IQ. The other lenses were Nikons (1.4D and 1.4G) which have impressive results both in center and edges.

With1.8D, the IQ at the edges are softer than all of the others, but at this price it's a very good buy. If you have an APS-C format camera, this lens can be used as close-up portrait lens in which you can ignore softness at the edges.

Cliff Beard

Registered: May 2009Posts: 12

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by Cliff Beard

Review Date: 5/15/2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 8

Pros:

Value king, speed at low prce, distance scale

Cons:

nothing at this price

Its certainly not a glamorous lens but is an absolute value king for anyone looking for a fast lens (compared to a typical kit lens) at a sensible price.

The build is plastic but perfectly decent and the mount is metal. There is no built in AF motor but this is no issue on my bodies (not so good for D40/60) and AF speed is fast. One could say the lack of SWM is one less thing to break and keeps it compact.

At max aperture it certainly lacks contrast and is a bit soft but stopped down even a fraction it improves hugely and by F2.8 its getting very sharp. From F4 on its pretty much as sharp as anything.

Its a great creative walkaround lens on a full frame body. Not as versatile on crop, but a good short portrait lens.

Bokeh is a bit busy, especially around highlights.

Its so light and cheap there is no point in not popping it in the bag!

sgnirts

Registered: January 2009Posts: 7

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by sgnirts

Review Date: 2/6/2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $100.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

great pro image quality, fast!! sharp, reliable focus.

Cons:

high quality plastic :-)

Every photographer should have at least one f1.8 or brighter lens in their bag for low light, and subject iso. The nikon 50mm f1.8 fits the bill so perfectly, if you get addicted to this little gem, go one step further and grab the Nikon 85mm f1.8 too(or 1.4) and get a little more of this low light performing drug.

Instantly addicting every time you pick it up, day to day, week to week, decade to decade...take your timeless images with this timeless lens....easy!

jonnyapple

Registered: December 2007Posts: 6

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by jonnyapple

Review Date: 10/9/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $120.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

low price, fast, great image quality

Cons:

Don't hesitate here. This lens is the best value I know of and it's a length almost anyone could use. No complaints from me in the optical quality, and it takes up less space in my bag than my flash does. The complete lack of distortion makes for very easy panoramic stitches if you like that sort of thing.
If you use a D40/60, you'll have to use manual focus as it's not AF-S, but I still think it's worth it (the autofocus sensor still tells you when it's in focus; you just have to turn the ring).

libertinephotography

Registered: August 2008Posts: 9

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by libertinephotography

Review Date: 8/29/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $109.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Light, Inexpensive, Fast

Cons:

Construction, Not great Bokeh

This lens is a no brainer. It is so cheap that everyone should have one in their bag; unless of course you can afford the 1.4. Amazingly, Nikon has gone far beyond what they needed to for a $110 lens. You get much more than you pay for in this case. Don't let the "Made in China" label disuade you. Only real problem, is the construction. This lens really feels delicate, but I must admit that it has held up rather well.

ian-wurn

Registered: July 2008Posts: 5

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by ian-wurn

Review Date: 7/14/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $133.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Small, compact, clear, cheap

Cons:

No AF-S

Good lens. I use it on my D40x with manual focus.... Really good value for money and also light to carry about.

Pix quality is great. Construct is pretty excellent. Pity the package comes without a carry bag....

Would love to have the autofocus on the D40x but that's in the 60mm package and comes at whopping more juice....

lextalionis

Registered: October 2007Posts: 82

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by lextalionis

Review Date: 3/1/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $110.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

Best bang for the buck...just buy it...you won't be dissapointed.

Cons:

Build isn't as good as the 1.4 but good enough for $100

What's the difference between this one and the 1.4?

1. Price...about 3.3X cheaper.
2. Build quality a bit less over the 1.4
3. If you have a trained eye, then you'll notice harder bokeh highlights.

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $90.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

Sharpness, Price, Speed, Bokeh

Cons:

Plastic

Definitely one of the sharpest nikkor lens, you just wouldn't expect to get it at $100 now would ya?

The lens is even slightly sharper than the 50mm 1.4. Speed is really not much of an issue with this lens, and the difference in bokeh between the 1.8 and 1.4 is so subtle that i didn't think the 1.4 is worth 3X the price of the 1.8.

spura

Registered: May 2007Posts: 2

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by spura

Review Date: 5/15/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $190.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

price, optical quality

Cons:

not yet and not for this price

For this price is very good lens, for landscapes to use F8 as the best results, for portraits i use F2.8. Extra F1.8 can use for special impriviztions or special need for short area DOF. Nice lens for beginners, light and sharp..

SETI

Registered: April 2007Posts: 20

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by SETI

Review Date: 4/26/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $100.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Price !!! Aperture ! Size, weight

Cons:

soft at 1.8, yellow cast

Changed 3 of them =) Tried to get sharpness at 1.8. Good if you have only 100$. At f4 is extremally sharp ! Don't know what to add... it costs that 100$... maybe even 120 =)
Thank you.

epixx

Registered: March 2007Posts: 5

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by epixx

Review Date: 3/17/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 8

Pros:

Sharp, relatively fast, cheap

Cons:

Cheap build quality, noisy AF

There aren't really any good reasons not to buy this lens. Image quality is very good, and it doesn't cost much more than a couple of filters. Works fine as a walk-around, indoor without a flash as well as outdoor. Bokeh is ok, and I often use it for portraits.

Build quality is terrible though, and it really feels cheap. That, however, doesn't show in the photos.

Iyhel

Registered: March 2007Posts: 6

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by Iyhel

Review Date: 3/13/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $200.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

Sharp, bright, light, cheap

Cons:

Absolutely none

Oh, sure, optical quality is a little under the f/1.4 one.
Sure, there is nothing special to say about construction quality.
Yeah, corners are a little soft from f/1.8 to 2.2.
And maybe the bokeh is a little hard.

But hell at this ridiculous price you get a top quality prime. And a damn lightweight one.

Some claim they don't like the angle on digital, I never had any problem with that. Once you've got it "in your eye" you'll enjoy it for any subject - landscapes as well as portraits.

The only thing that could make me switch to a 50/1.4 or a 45/2.8 is the bokeh, which is a little hard (compared to my 105/2 and 180/2.8... not a fair challenge I admit); however it gives very nice effects at night with out of focus lightsources.

BevanW

Registered: March 2007Posts: 3

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by BevanW

Review Date: 3/10/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $75.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

Exceptionally Sharp, Cheap, Smokin Fast, light

Cons:

None

I picked up a non-d version of this lens at a local shop for $75 and love it. It is lightweight, very fast and ubelievably sharp. At f1.8 this lens is almost as sharp as my much more expensive 85mm f1.8. Makes a great portrait lens on a DSLR...Highly recommend.

BTW...sort of surprised by the reviews of this lens (blur index). Based on test shots I have take my sample is tack sharp in the center wide open. The corners are softer, but this is desired for portraits. Stopped down a bit the corners catch up and this lens is sharp corner to corner. Hmmm...guess I just got a great sample.

wijnands

Registered: February 2007Posts: 4

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by wijnands

Review Date: 2/28/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $130.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

sharp, sharp, fast and did I mention sharp?

Cons:

the 1.4 is sharper wide open

This lens is in Nikon's lineup ever since they started on Autofocus lenses in the mid-80s and internally it doesn't seem to have changed.

I currently own a copy of the first version which is built like the 1.4. After that nikon made a version which looks like the D but doesn't have the distance chip yet. In my opinion that's the least attractive version to get second hand. The addition of a distance chip is a nice bonus but by no means a necessity.

An aperture of 1.8 means that you can still shoot with ambient light while kit lens owners already need to flash. It also means you can play with rather extreme DoF. It's at these extreme apertures that the much more expensive 1.4 outperforms the 1.8.
Stopping down a bit to around 2.8 and the difference is already much less noticeable. Getting to f4 and you'd be very hard put to distinguish these two.

This lens really shines around f5.6. It's incredibly sharp, so sharp that a portrait will show even the smallest skin blemishes.

It has a good minimal focus distance of about 45cm. Combine that with it's 1.8 aperture and you can do fun closeup shots.

It's front element is already rather recessed so for protection a UV filter isn't really necessary. Consider what this lens will cost you. Then factor in that a really good UV filter (which this lens does deserve) will cost you about half of the price of the lens. Just get a lens hood to go with it, either the recommended HR-2 or, for that extra retro feel the old HS-2 hood.

ealatsis

Registered: November 2006Posts: 4

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by ealatsis

Review Date: 1/15/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $110.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

good value, lightwight, sharp results

Cons:

nothing

I bought this lens after reading several reviews from this website. I used it solely at my cousin’s wedding reception. No accessory flash and was able to take wonderful pictures. The sharpness everyone has mentioned is true. I wasn’t familiar with primes and now I think they are great! A tremendous value and to re-use the phrase “Every Nikon owner should have this lens in their bag.”

njmd

Registered: January 2007Posts: 2

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by njmd

Review Date: 1/15/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $194.18| Rating: 9

Pros:

Very very sharp lens for very very litle money

Cons:

auto focus could be faster

It's a very good lens in all aspects. The corners only go soft at 1/8, but still with very good results. For other apertures it's always sharp (or very sharp) from edge to edge. Considering it's price, everyone owning a nikon slr or dslr system should by it! I like primes. I also like the "old" standard lenses because they are very close to what human eye sees - it's a question of style and photography aesthetics. For a Nikon DSLR it´s a good lens for a certain type of portraits.

alberto

Registered: January 2007Posts: 9

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by alberto

Review Date: 1/14/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $100.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Large aperture,compact, cheap

Cons:

none

Very cheap lens, with good optical quality.

Lightweight, very large aperture, one of my favourite lens.

I use this lens whit film and digital bodies and the ony drawback is a little bit soft(and lowered contrast) wide open, but good from 2.8 to 4, and very sharp from 4 to 16, then diffraction may degrade the image.

very good for portrait with digital bodies.

biraz

Registered: January 2007Posts: 3

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by biraz

Review Date: 1/14/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $140.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

sharp (mercilessly sharp from f. 4 on), light, very good value for money

Cons:

autofocus hunting in dim light, yellow cast

I bought this lens for my D50 to add a fast lens to my kit zooms (18-55 and 55-200). It is very useful when you need a fast aperture (kit zoom max aperture goes from f. 3.5 to 5.6), and stopped-down (from f.4 on) this 50 is incredibly sharp (a wonderful thing for general use or for children portraits; but be careful when you want to photograph a woman: she could not be so happy with the results).

Build quality is more than ok for me: obviously better than my kit zooms, but I imagine not on par with the old pro all-metal Nikkors; but I'm no pro, and I treat very carefully my lenses...

Only cons: 1) autofocus can hunt in dim light 2) images from this lens are slightly "warmer" than expected, or sometimes "yellowish". I personally lihe very much the golden light of late summer afternoons, so this can be an opportunity, not a problem. But if I take the same photo with my 18-55 and my 50, the photo from my 50 is always more "yellow". I don't know if this is a defect of my lens or a design peculiarity, and I would not call it really a defect: only a characteristic to take into account.

notpaul

Registered: January 2007Posts: 3

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by notpaul

Review Date: 1/13/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 8

Pros:

Small, fast, light, inexpensive, and fully usable wide open.

Cons:

Tinker Toy construction, slow and noisy focus

This was the first lens to go on my Nikon N80. Just holding it in the store made me queasy – it’s built like a BigMeal toy. But what it does, it does very well. It’s fast, sharp, and small. On the N80 it makes a very tidy, go anywhere kit. And it’s so cheap, there’s no reason not to have one. On a reduced frame camera it makes a nice available light portrait lens.

thomiz

Registered: January 2007Posts: 16

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by thomiz

Review Date: 1/11/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9

Pros:

Lighweight, sharp, fast, bargain

Cons:

construction quality (but what do you expect at such a low price)

This is a great little lense. The f/1.8 aperture makes low light shooting possible, and it is quite sharp at this aperture to. The AF action is adequate, and it is so small and light you can bring it anywhere. A real no-brainer except if you think you need the extra stop of light in the f/1.4.

The only drawback of this lense is the construction quality. I finally managed to break my (used) copy, by dropping it on the floor from about 30cm, first the AF became really slow but the lense was still sharp. Later someone dropped it again (from about 1m), and the AF action was smooth again, but now the lense was no longer sharp at smaller aperture. (it must have been a bad year, I do not usually drop my equipment). But then again, its so inexpensive you can afford to buy another.

I find this lense much better than its canon counterpart with its plastic mount and questionable IQ.

tommy

Registered: January 2007Posts: 5

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by tommy

Review Date: 1/10/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $120.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

small, light, cheap, fast, simple

Cons:

none

Just get one. The only reason not to have one of these is if you already own an f1.4 version. It's small, light, sharp, distortion-free, unobtrusive and very cheap.

On a digital body I've found it very useful for portraits, great for table-top stuff in the studio and perfect for candid shots in low light. Wide open its tiny depth of field is great for isolating subjects and allows you to shoot in near darkness without resorting to flattening everything with on-camera flash.

What are you waiting for?

vNe

Registered: January 2007Posts: 7

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by vNe

Review Date: 1/8/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $90.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

fast, sharp, cheap

Cons:

noisy

This should be a lens is everybody's bag. Super fast, tack sharp, and the price cannot really get any lower. Compared to my old manual 50/1.4, the 50/1.8’s build quality is lacking. The focus could be a bit smoother. However, it is surprisingly durable even though it looks cheap. It does auto focus and can matrix meter on modern cameras. Word of caution to beginners about stopping the lens all the way down; it is a little soft and the depth of field is extremely shallow.

xnecrontyrx

Registered: January 2007Posts: 3

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by xnecrontyrx

Review Date: 1/5/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $79.99| Rating: 8

Pros:

Cheap, Fast, Sharp

Cons:

Ugly Out of Focus Highlights, Feels as cheap as it is.

This is a damn fine lens, its sharp (reasonably so even wide open), its fast, and you can get good subject background separation. The only problem I have with it is the bokeh on the out of focus highlights, they are extremely angular and displeasing to the eye. Other than that, I worry I'm gonna break the thing because of how weak its construction feels, but no sign of that yet, so no worries.

trentdp

Registered: September 2006Posts: 26

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by trentdp

Review Date: 1/5/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $125.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Good build quality and smooth operation. Very Sharp in center.

Cons:

Focal length a little to long for APS size digital SLR cameras

All the posts are pretty much right on target with their assessments. I had the lens for about 12 months and used it periodically, but decided for my use a zoom lens was more convenient. There is no doubt that you can't go wrong buying this lens give it's price. Maybe as I mature in my picture taking, I will buy another copy of the lens in the future. I sold my copy because I just did not use it frequently enough.

jonahg

Registered: January 2007Posts: 2

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by jonahg

Review Date: 1/2/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $105.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Sharp, widely available, low cost, Fast, low distortion

Cons:

Build quality, not AF-S, relatively slow focussing

This is nearly a must for any Nikon consumer DSLR owner. Besides the brilliant available-light images you can get indoors and out at F1.8-2.8, this lens pretty much has it all, for $100. Sharpness isn't ideal until you stop it down a bit (to F4 or below), but the lens is a very good performer at its smallest aperture.

The cons are that it has only a so-so build quality (lots of plastic), it is a little soft when wide open, and the AF is relatively slow (compared to modern AF-S lenses).

Not only can you come up with excellent images while forgoing the use of a flash, but forcing yourself to deal with a fixed field of view will sharpen your photography skills as you have to focus more on your composition and the other settings that are within your control.

An excellent lens for anyone from an interested beginner to a seasoned amateur. Highly recommended.

Jonny

Registered: December 2006Posts: 1

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by Jonny

Review Date: 12/28/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9

From f/4 and up, this lens is critically sharp. It softens a little as you open it up, with the corners soft from 1.8 up to around 2.8, but the centre of the image still remains reasonably sharp. Bokeh is reasonably soft, at least to my eye, and you'll certainly be seeing a lot of it at 1.8!

AF comes from the camera body, and is noisy - the focus is slow, certainly noticably so compared to AF-S, and sometimes hunts in low light.

Build quality is fine for the price. The lens body is all plastic, but the whole package is tightly constructed, feeling solid despite its diminuitive weight. The focus ring, with about a third of a turn of play, is usable, although with the lens opened up the shallow depth of field makes manual focussing a little hit and miss.

With all that taken into account, however, it's very hard to criticise this lens when its price is so vanishingly low. Those considering upgrading from kit lenses, after their bank accounts have absorbed the initial financial shock of buying a DSLR, might find this an ideal second lens for low-light shooting - I certainly did! The fast 1.8 aperture makes available-light photography a possibility without having to push your camera's ISO levels through the roof.

You can get this lens online in the UK for around 70 quid - there's no excuse for not owning one!

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $100.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

sharp, inexpensive, good for portrait and indoor snap shots

Cons:

limited coverage

If you want a cheap nikkor lens that can af fast and gives sharp image, this is it. I have this for a while now and i constantly use it indoors when i'm not really too far from my subject, like family and friends during a party. If you dont mind going back or forward to compose your shot then this lens is worth it. For the price and the quality you get it's a bargain, literally. I use this sometimes with my D80 but usually i have it on my N65, i still shoot film where this lens becomes a 'normal' lens, although not really bad having an instant 75mm prime when attached to a DSLR.
Highly recommended.

placenamehere

Registered: December 2006Posts: 5

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by placenamehere

Review Date: 12/26/2006

Would you recommend the product? No |
Total Spent: $110.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

cost, speed, weight

Cons:

awkward focal length on dslr

This was my 2nd lens on my D80 and when I got it I loved it. its hard not to recommend it based on image quality and price but I've found it sitting in my bag getting little use as of late. I found it plenty fast for indoor family photos, but the focal length felt sometimes not wide enough and sometimes too wide. the 85mm got a lot more use when I picked that up and I recently got a Sigma 30mm/1.4 for the wide end.

its almost silly not to spend the $100 on this lens, but if you're planning on other lenses I'd get those first and then see if you still think you need this one

CocoMonGo

Registered: December 2006Posts: 8

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by CocoMonGo

Review Date: 12/26/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 8

Pros:

Basic 50mm lens, cheap and effective

Cons:

Wish it had more hyperfocal markings

The basic 50mm lens that everybody tells you to buy with your first camera. I didnt buy this lens with my first camera. I did buy it later buy sold it off when I had 50mm zooms.

With this lens you only need to control it from the camera, unless you want to manual zoom. Being one of the small lens around in Nikon, the manual zoom ring is very thin; which is not my taste. I just hate focusing using two fingers.

As with all 50mm f/1.8 round , image quality is as good as it gets. (If there are any 1st party lens manufacturers that makes even average 50mm primes you will have to really reconsider their system, seriously). Its extreamly fast lens at f/1.8, making viewing(and manual focusing) through the eyepiece a joy!

I would buy this lens again, since my mid zoom is about to bust, and I rarely use anything other then my wide and my super zoom anyway.

wl2

Registered: December 2006Posts: 7

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by wl2

Review Date: 12/24/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $60.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

lightweight, sharp

Cons:

This lens is sharp and light. With the DSLR crop factor, it becomes a very usefull portrait lens.

It is not that sharp wide open. But above F2.8, it is my sharpest lens.

Given the low price and weight, there is no reason not to have one in the camera bag. Highly recommended.

jfehrenbach

Registered: December 2006Posts: 1

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by jfehrenbach

Review Date: 12/23/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $104.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

Affordable, Sharp Image Quality, Fast 1.8

Cons:

AF tends to seek on D70, construction

For the price you can't go wrong with this one. Indoors this has become my favorite walk around lens. Portraits are absolutly stunning.

Crop factor on digital makes this a little long if this we a 35mm in this price range it would score a 10 across the board.

dessing

Registered: December 2006Posts: 1

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by dessing

Review Date: 12/23/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $110.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Bang for Buck, Weight, Sharpness

Cons:

Wider would be better

Although landscapes are not the strength of a DX equivalent 75mm lens, the 50 1.8D can produce very nice results stopped all the way down in low light. I have achieved very sharp results with surprisingly balanced contrast at f22 in evening cityscapes. The 50 1.8D is a fantastic first lens that shows developing photographers the advantages and limitations of prime lenses and will inspire lust for much more expensive glass.

aalto

Registered: December 2006Posts: 12

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by aalto

Review Date: 12/21/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $80.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

Everything

Cons:

The what?

This lens is a must have. Simple as that.

For the ridiculously low cost of this lens, the optical quality is outstanding. Its fast, compact, light, and does the job, what more could you possibly ask for?

Most of my portraits have been taken with this lens on a D70, which gives me a good personal half-body portrait.

Lovely.

leoric

Registered: December 2006Posts: 4

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by leoric

Review Date: 12/18/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $172.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Sharp, protected front element, small dimensions, low weight

Cons:

Plasticky (but not a big issue), noisy AF

This is without a doubt the best purchase for low budgets and for special occasions where you really need the f 1.8.

If you purchase it from the US you pay close to nothing (100 dollars). If you purchase it from, oh let's say Romania, you pay almost double the price (but that is besides the point).

First of all, you'll notice how small and lightweight this lens is. It's a breeze compared to your 18-70 kit lens and even to the 18-55 kit lens.

The second thing you'll notice when you start taking pictures with it is how sharp it is from 2.4 - 2,8 onwards.

Another useful thing is that the front element is burried deep in the lens, which protects it from accidents and also reduces flare.

Speaking of flare, the lens doesn't come with a hood, so if you really want one, you can get a rubber 52 mm one.

One small issue with the 50 mm 1.8 is the fact that it's rather noisy when focusing, but hey, you paid close to nothing for it so it can't be perfect.

Overall, a great lens.

kanabeans

Registered: December 2006Posts: 5

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by kanabeans

Review Date: 12/17/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $100.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

Very affordable

Cons:

None

I rated this lens a 10 overall because you really can't get a nicer lens for $100. This is a very good lens for the money. It's sharp and the f/1.8 was enough for me to shoot in natural low light situations.

lastchance

Registered: December 2006Posts: 1

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by lastchance

Review Date: 12/17/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $120.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Inexpensive, light, sharp

Cons:

Seems fragile

This is a very nice, inexpensive workhorse lens. The small size and weight means that it spends a lot of time on my camera when I'm out exploring. The only issue I've ever had is when I accidentally unlocked the aperture ring, and my D70 refused to function. It took me a little while to figure that out, and someone new to Nikon might also run into that. Wide open, this lens sucks in the light and gives really nice bokeh, and stopped down, it is amazingly sharp. For the price, every Nikon owner should have this lens.

marokero

Registered: October 2005Posts: 7

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by marokero

Review Date: 12/15/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $95.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

bright, cheap, lightweight

Cons:

plastic construction, bokeh is not the best

It's one of those lenses that one must get - it's relatively dirt cheap compared to other pro glass out there. It was my first fast lens, allowing me to get more available light shots as opposed to using so much flash. It's like a stepping stone towards faster and better lenses, but I still carry this lens in my case. Sometimes when I want to use something very light, I'll take this lens out and shoot a few images with it.

Samson

Registered: December 2006Posts: 1

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by Samson

Review Date: 12/13/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $110.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

Fast, great sharpness/clarity, fantastic portraits, light

Cons:

Nothing (esp for $100)

It's really a no-brainer: a fast, light portrait lens for approximately $100. I used it on my travels to New York, and the night shots were amazing considering I didn't use a tripod.

Shots from ISO200 to 400 with f/2.2 or smaller apertures are so sharp. And the color saturation blows away the starter kit lens that came with my D50.

The only limitation is that it is a prime lens which translates to 75mm on a DSLR. You're not going to be taking any wide, scenic shots. But that's not why you'd choose this lens, right?

People keeping mentioning that it's plastic. I'm pretty rough with the lens, but it's held up fine. And it's the glass that counts.

deanzat

Registered: December 2006Posts: 9

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by deanzat

Review Date: 12/12/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $100.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

small, light, fast, sharp

Cons:

What's not to love? No matter how lightly you're packing your camera bag, you can bring along this pretty fast, very small, very light lens.

Color, contrast and sharpness are very good. And in a pinch, I can slip it into a pocket.

My only concern is the build quality; it doesn't have the solid feel of my older lenses. For a hundred bucks, why should it? And the glass is just fine.

When I first got into photography, we HAD to get 50mm lenses with our cameras, and it was all we could afford for a while, so we couldn't wait to get other lenses and break away from the 50. On Nikon digitals, though, this becomes a fast 75, and I find it very useful.

dabrams

Registered: December 2006Posts: 1

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by dabrams

Review Date: 12/11/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $100.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

lightweight, compact, price

Cons:

F1.8

Overall, a great prime lens. It is small, light and simple to use (either digital or 35mm). I have used it on both kinds of Nikons and pictures come out crisp, sharp and unbeatable. At first, it was hard to adjust from a zoom lense to a prime lense (no moving parts on a digital camera).

It is hard to justify a couple of hundred dollars more for the F1.4 lense, so I bought this one.

laserdoc

Registered: December 2006Posts: 2

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by laserdoc

Review Date: 12/11/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $99.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Inexpensive and sharp

Cons:

none

Photography 101. Learn how to use this 50mm prime and you will never look back. It should be the first prime in everyones bag. The cost is low and the pictures sharp. Excellent for low light conditions. It also teaches you how to use your feet instead of a zoom. By far Nikons best value.

sjcosh

Registered: December 2006Posts: 2

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by sjcosh

Review Date: 12/10/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $165.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

cost, weight, performance.

Cons:

Build quality

Bought this to do low light indoor shooting, parties, weddings etc. But im finding that im leaving it on my camera all the time, great sharp pics at f4 as others have said, but even at 1.8 you really have to look to see any probs, worlk very fast for me in most light conditions.

Im loving this lens every time i use it.

nullphotography

Registered: December 2006Posts: 5

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by nullphotography

Review Date: 12/10/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $145.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

small, light, sharp, fast

Cons:

noisy af

picked this lens up for low light situations and found a great lens with excellent dof. I originally wanted something for indoor and lowlight use but I know finding myself using this alot when i want alot of dof which is provided by the f/1.8 The only con I see in this lens is that the af is noisy but that isn't that much of a problem. The lens is very sharp throughout and is a must for any photographer just starting out. Pros may wish to look into the f/1.4 or the old f/1.2 for faster lenses and higher quality construction.

nunoferreira

Registered: December 2006Posts: 2

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by nunoferreira

Review Date: 12/10/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $197.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

price/quality relationship, sharpness,

Cons:

I usually use this lens on my Nikon F80. Great lens considering the price and quality. Light weight, sharp, good focus, cheap. A must have for nikonians.

bens0472

Registered: November 2006Posts: 1

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by bens0472

Review Date: 12/10/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $105.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Inexpensive, sharp, lightweight, great low-cost portrait lens

Cons:

cheap build quality, dreadful bokeh

I bought this lens to supplement my 18-70 DX shortly after I bought my D70 kit. I really wanted the 85mm f/1.4, but my budget could scarcely afford the 85 f/1.8. So, given a few of the comments about the crop factor making this long enough for head and shoulders portraiture, I dropped a benjamin and haven't looked back, since.

This is a remarkably useful lens. I find that, on average, I get very sharp shots, even when my subject is not in the center and even at f/1.8.

Stopped down to f/2.8-4, I get REALLY nice shots.

The lens doesn't mount onto my D70 as smoothly as other Nikkors that I own, nowadays - all of them AF-S lenses. It's been that way since day one, but the only time I really give it much thought is when I writing something like this.

Ultimately, this lens stays on my D70 almost 90% of the time because I know I can get a good shot with it and because of it's light weight.

If asked to replace it, I might consider a slightly shorter prime, like the 28/f2.8 or the 35/2.0, but I love this lens and would likely never get rid of it.

glen

Registered: December 2006Posts: 8

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor review by glen

Review Date: 12/9/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $109.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Sharp, fast, inexpensive

Cons:

Plastic

I actually looked long and hard at getting a 50 F1.8 AIS rather than this lens as the build quality is not as good, but decided it was nice to have autofocus.

Optically this lens leaves nothing to be desired. You would have to pixel peek at big mags to see distortion or CA. Soft at f1.8 and tack sharp by f4. A good portrait lens on a DSLR.